We're continuing in the same vision we were learning about last time which is found in
Revelation chapters 17 and 18 and the first half of ch 19.
Rev 18
After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. 2 With a mighty voice he shouted: “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal. For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”
Then I heard another voice from heaven say: “‘Come out of her, my people,’ so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues; for her sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup. Give her as much torment and grief as the glory and luxury she gave herself. In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit enthroned as queen. I am not a widow; I will never mourn.’
Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:“‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, you mighty city of Babylon! In one hour your doom has come!’ “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.
“They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn 16 and cry out: “‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet, and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls! In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’
“Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out: “‘Woe! Woe to you, great city, where all who had ships on the sea became rich through her wealth! In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’
“Rejoice over her, you heavens! Rejoice, you people of God! Rejoice, apostles and prophets! For God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.” Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: “With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters, will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade will ever be found in you again. The sound of a millstone will never be heard in you again. The light of a lamp
will never shine in you again. The voice of bridegroom and bride will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s important people. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people, of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”
breakdown:
18:1 After this (or: after these things, meaning the order in which the visions unfold, but not necessarily a chronological order of the events in history unfolding), I SAW another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority (some ppl think this angel is Jesus, others think archangel), and the earth was made bright with his glory. We read another "I saw" which along with "I heard" is a common motif from the revelator.
Ez 43 also contains an angel that makes the earth bright with his glory, who also has a mighty voice like we're about to read in the next verse. And that chapter is about encouraging God's people to separate from the world system - just like this section of Rev is. And of course that whole section that is Ez ch's 40-48 is about the fall of Babylon and the establishment of God's forever Kingdom - same thing here. So a very high authority angel descends to earth. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great! She has become a dwelling place for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit, a haunt for every unclean bird, a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast. Some scholars say the reason the angel is calling out loudly is that he's warning people not to get sucked in to Babylon's ways. Here you have an angel more glorious and of higher authority than the entity that is the prostitute that is Babylon, and he's saying dont be deceived by Babylon's appealing outer layer - she is really filled with demons, ghosts and beasts.A desert wasteland is pictured, complete with non-kosher birds, impure scavenger mammals, AND unclean spirits.
Here we have a reference to an OT prophecy against Babylon: look at Isaiah 13:20-22: Babylon will never be inhabited again. It will remain empty for generation after generation.
Nomads will refuse to camp there, and shepherds will not bed down their sheep.
Desert animals will move into the ruined city, and the houses will be haunted by howling creatures Owls (Septuagint: monsters) will live among the ruins, and wild goats (Septuagint: devils) will go there to dance.
Hyenas (Septuagint: satyrs) will howl in its fortresses, and jackals (KGV: dragons) will make dens in its luxurious palaces.
Babylon’s days are numbered; its time of destruction will soon arrive.
For more on unclean spirits dwelling in the desert / wilderness, see Matthew 12:43 "when an unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through arid places seeking rest and doesn't find it..."
Obviously demons currently exist in every climate on earth, I'm pretty sure - but maybe there are more in the wastelands or less inhabitable places? There could be a Biblical argument crafted to support that take. Also just ask the mazillion people who have all those paranormal experience testimonies you hear about from desert and wilderness locations.
On top of lots of undesirable and creepy beings taking over the wastelands of judged and fallen babylon, we also see in this verse and in Isaiah 13 that no
rebuilding will happen ever - the judgement will be final. 3 For all nations have drunk the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality, and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
Who drank her wine? ALL the nations. The kings of the earth and the merchants.Last chapter the angel explained that the many waters the prostitute presided over were peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. Michael Heiser would prob say that this type of verbiage is a nod back to the tower of Babel incident, and that what's going on here in this vision should be seen in light of the fact that God gave different nations to different spiritual principalities to steward. and he would say that those spiritual entities actually rebelled against YHWH bc they wanted to receive worship themselves instead. Now in Rev 18, in a swift and final event that rebellion and self-aggrandizing will come to an end and be punished. In Ps 82 we learn that these spiritual rulers of other nations decided to oppress the poor, and that social and economic injustice are what really piss God off a lot. Besides idolatry, that's the other egregious sin in this evil system. And Heiser taught that Rev chapters 15-18 are setting up a final conflict between God and what Heiser often calls the Babel system. (Bc the whole reason that many of the nations were assigned to other elohim is cause they asked for it by doing the tower of Babel). So basically there's an evil system, a spiritual network, that has seduced the nations of the world into worshipping those other gods instead of the one true God YHWH. And there's continually a huge concerted effort to get God's people (in the OT that's mostly descendants of Abraham, and nowadays it's whoever decides to be Jesus Christ's disciple) .. to get them to cheat on God - to have and revere idols. And so all this seeing and visioning that John is experiencing here, there are battle lines being drawn for a final show down. A casting down of idols once and for all.
Here's a quote from Michael Heiser: "God is not in favor of coercive, abusive power... bc ultimately when it is abusive and coercive, ultimately the ones driving the bus aren't necessarily the human power brokers. Because behind the human power brokers, there's a more sinister intelligence that wants to destroy, that wants to enslave, that wants you to worship them. This is why the nations, both in Ps 82 and Rev and lots of other passages, are described this way and why the gods of those nations get looped into it. It's all one huge chaotic evil system that is aligned against, ultimately, the people of God."
So, all the nations have drank Babylon's wine - They drank the kool aid. They accepted the deal. Signed up for Babylon's religious and idolatrous demands in exchange for power and wealth - for economic security through the world instead of provision through God. I mentioned this very briefly in the episode on chapter 17, but some Bible teachers associate this Royal-acting Babylon Harlot figure to old testament and historical female goddesses. For instance in Jer 44 a lot of Jewish people disobeyed God's orders by offering worship to the Queen of Heaven which most people think was the Babylonian goddess Ishtar. And, some of Bible teachers even associate a lot of the historic female goddesses (aka demonic idols)together and suggest it's the same entity (or principality) just in different regurgitated iterations. Derek Gilbert and Rebecca Greenwood are two such teachers, and the latter has a book called Unmasking the Queen of Heaven if you want to look more into the idea. But basically Rebecca Greenwood says the moon goddess Ishtar, Lilith, Hathor, Ashtoreth/Astarte, Innana, and even the spiritual force behind the human queen Jezebel ... are the same entity. They all act the same and seem to bring the same sins into the cultures they influence. So - was John thinking of this figure as a conglomeration of all those entities as he describes her final downfall in Rev 18? I don't know. Just wanted to put the topic on the table cause it's interesting.
4-5 Then I HEARD another voice from heaven saying,
“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
Another voice chimes in, also loudly beckoning any people of God that may be getting sucked in by Babylon to walk away from her. Beal says, "The unidentified voice of verse 4 might be that of God (note 'my people'), of Christ [maybe] in continuation of verse 1 , or of an angel representing God, much as Jeremiah was the divine spokesman conveying the exhortation to 'come forth.' (Jer 51:45)"
6-9 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her double for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.
As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and she will be burned up with fire;
for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”Again we see fairness and justice within the judgement - the entity chose inequity
and betrayal and deception, so that's what comes back around in the end.
The timing is swift - reminding us of Daniel chapter 4 which talks about Nebuchadnezzar bragging on Babylon the great, and within the same moment he then gets punished and humbled. Here's a comment from Beale, which starts by comparing the angel in the beginning of this chapter to the harlot figure here: "The angel of verse 1 reflects the true glory of God, in contrast to the bogus glory of Babylon. Her sin is pride and self-sufficiency, which must inevitably lead to her fall. Isaiah said of earthly Babylon, 'yet you said "i shall be a queen forever" ' and spiritual Babylon here speaks the same words [in verse 7] - 'for she says in her heart, I sit as queen and am not a widow, and will never see mourning.' "
9-10 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury
with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. They will
stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
“Alas! Alas! You great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For in a single hour your judgment has come.”
Kings committing sexual immorality with the harlot is a metaphor: meaning many
leaders and many of their people around the world have chosen to worship idols.
That's spiritual adultery. This chapter contains a list of the groups of people that will mourn when Babylon falls, and the first group mentioned is the kings. Government officials. They mourn bc there was much personal gain for them in the Babylon system, so this prob isn't every leader everywhere, just the corrupt ones. Which unfortunately is a large percentage.
11-14 And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls.
“The fruit for which your soul longed has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendorsare lost to you, never to be found again!”
The second group that's mourning is the merchants. The business people that benefited from a system that fed off of worldly desires. Not every business person, but most of the top echelon is profiting from people's vanity, and from injustice and abuse in the system. And notice the human trafficking in the greed list.
15-19 The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in
fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
that was clothed in fine linen,
in purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold,
with jewels, and with pearls!
For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.”
And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood
far of and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning (there's that familiar theme of smoke rising again),
“What city was like the great city?”
And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,
“Alas, alas, for the great city
where all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For in a single hour she has been laid waste.
Babylon was clothed in fine linen, gold, jewels, pearls - these are all things the Bride of Christ heavenly city is clothed in too - but ours are forever. In a single hr the evil harlot city is turned to waste, but God's redeemed holy city maintains its pure wealth and richness for eternity. So in addition to the kings and merchants, there's a third group who mourns the fall of Babylon: many shipmasters and sailors. Because they grew rich off of the unjust system too.
btw, in Ez 27's pronouncement against Tyre, the same three groups mourn its downfall - the kings, the merchants, and the mariners. Yet another tie between Babylon and Tyre.The book of James speaks against corrupt and selfish rich people too - here's part of James 5 in the MSG paraphrase:
"...a final word to you arrogant rich: Take some lessons in lament. You’ll need buckets for the tears when the crash comes upon you. Your money is corrupt and your fine clothes stink. Your greedy luxuries are a cancer in your gut, destroying your life from within. You thought you were piling up wealth. What you’ve piled up is judgment. All the workers you’ve exploited and cheated [aka human trafficked] cry out for judgment. The groans of the workers you used and abused are a roar in the ears of the Master Avenger..."
Pronouncing judgement on corruption is a major prophetic theme in scripture. The Babylon type culture is one that takes things far beyond essential goods - it's about luxury and greed and excess, and paying no mind to how that excess is effecting other people groups. It's about being ok with the enslavement and entrapment of others for the sake of economic advantage. (Sound familiar at all, my listeners that happen to live in prosperous nations like the US? It's not always prosperity in and of itself that's the problem, it's: was there injustice in how we got here, and also what are we doing with that?)
20 Rejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and apostles and prophets,
for God has given judgment for you against her!”
Heavenly angels and saints are called to rejoice when righteous, fair judgement against evil takes place. This is the end of greed, slavery and suffering - the end of the enemy's work on the earth. This verse is very likely an allusion to Jer 51:48-49: "Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will shout for joy over Babylon, for out of the north destroyers will attack her, declares the Lord. Babylon must fall because of Israel’s slain, just as the slain in all the earth have fallen because of Babylon." And Beale explains it like, earlier in the book of Rev, believers are instructed to rejoice that Satan falls, and now believers are instructed to rejoice that the whole satanic system falls.
21-24 Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the
sea, saying,
“So will Babylon the great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more;
and the sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,and the sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
and the light of a lamp
will shine in you no more,
and the voice of bridegroom and bride
will be heard in you no more,
for your merchants were the great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived by your sorcery.
And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of all who have been slain on earth.”
Interesting how a millstone is thrown into the water - remember how Jesus said if someone gives the innocent a hard time, it would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck? We know that Sheol is thought to be down there in the depths if the waters - the millstone is, therefore, imho, an item of imminent judgement against those who pull the innocent away from God. Those who lure others into idolatry - just like the prostitute that is Babylon and the Beast and his whole system.
And these verses are meant to remind the reader of Jer 51:63 where a servant of the prophet is commanded to tie a stone to a scroll that contains Babylon's judgement and throw it into the water, and declare out loud Babylon's going to sink and never rise. And there's yet another possible tie-in to Tyre here - in Ez 26 it says the stones (and timber and rubble) of Tyre will be thrown into the water, never to be found again.
Neh 9:11 uses the same language about God hurling the enemy into the depths like a\ stone - the enemy in that verse being the Egyptian army chasing the Israelites.
And remember this part that we just read: and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more, and the sound of the mill (theres the mill with the millstones!) will be heard in you
no more...
This specificity of activity is being used as another demonstration of fairness. The craftsmen in that day that followed Jesus were disallowed to participate in the economy cause they wouldnt worship the idols of the trade guilds. This led to poverty and hardship for innocent ppl. So now, Babylon's craftsmen and workers will no longer be allowed to trade - a fair judgement. The blood of the saints was FOUND in Babylon, and no no tradesmen will be FOUND there.
So, what about you? Are you using your life to pursue unnecessary material extras? Are you partnering with any systems of greed and corruption? Are you idolizing wealth or lifestyle? How has the materialist unjust culture typified in the figure Babylon gotten its claws into you? Dragged you away from God? and, what might He be calling you to do to come our from Babylon and be separate?
What if we use our energy to fight for justice? What if we refuse commerce with egregious companies? Or use our dollars smarter for the Kingdom of God? Or quit comparing ourselves to those around us and just focus on living out the calling God has placed on our lives? What if over time our taste changes, from the decadent but tainted allure of the bedazzled goddess of this world - to the clean and free grace of a good God who has already given us everything we need and more, forever.